Beaten down

What do you do when you're feeling beaten down by the system? I've applied for several jobs recently that I felt qualified for -- not jobs at the nation's largest papers, necessarily, but papers that would be a step up from where I'm at -- and been roundly rejected at all of them.
Like I said, I felt qualified for all of the jobs I applied for. I feel like I do good work where I'm at, and I feel like I've got some pretty good clips. I'm just frustrated that I didn't get so much as a sniff at any of those places. I understand that people more qualified than me must have applied, but I'm just tired of busting my butt where I'm at, producing (what I think are and what I'm told are) good clips, only to be stuck here forever apparently.

A friend of mine is a SE at a medium-sized paper that had an opening for someone to work preps and take agate. The salary, which was listed in the ad, was $27K.

He got 70 applications. He was expecting to fill it with a recent college grad, but was getting applications from people with a few years experience.

Also, you shouldn't ever take it personally when you don't get a job in this business. It's so fickle. I know guys who have gotten "What are you thinking for applying here?" letters from smaller papers just weeks before getting a job at a major daily.

Shit happens. You'll fall into this situation whether looking for jobs or working at one where you have some good co-workers, some idiot co-workers and some managers like Dilbert's pointy-headed boss.

Keep looking around and doing good work. It will pay off.

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What he said. Two years ago I was SE of a weekly chain of 12 papers. I was busting ass, working 70-hour weeks, and producing award-winning clips and one of the top weekly sports sections in the country. I couldn't get a nibble from a daily.

I kept applying and, after six months of applying to damn near every opening, finally got an offer from a 16K daily 1,800 miles away. Now I'm at an 80K.

Perseverance pays off. I can't put it any simpler than that. Good luck.

Keep producing good clips and don't give up. Sometimes things don't make sense in this business. You might land a gig you didn't think you could get if you keep applying. Don't give up! I know a guy who went from a correspondent at a weekly paper to a Astros beat writer in 5 years. Maybe your next, but you won't know if you don't keep trying.

You never know what your good work might produce. It could be a job at another paper, a strong Internet site or a public relations job.

You might be working with one or two people who have similar feelings and are grinding. Yet when they leave or move up, they may remember your efforts and put in a good word for you at their next stop.

It's easy to shit on co-workers in a bad situation. When you leave, it may be fun at the time to throw a match on the gas-covered bridge. People talk and remember things, though.

It's harder to man up, keep doing the job at your best levels and then move on professionally with class. But that's what it takes and you'll be able to do that.

Was working for a 70K on the east coast. Got an interview at a 150K on the west coast. Was told I came in second. A month later, SE at a 200K on the east coast called his former employee, who happed to be the ASE at the west coast paper I interviewed at, and asked if he knew of any candidates.

West coast ASE gave him my name, and I have been at that east coast paper for 21 years. A paper I never even applied to.